When it comes to serving food, presentation is key...and when painting an appetizing culinary picture, the serving platter can be just as important as the food itself. A dull dish can make a queenly meal seem ordinary, while the perfect tray can elevate even the most mundane meals to extraordinary.

No matter what you're serving, be it appetizers, the main course, sides, decadent desserts or bite-size snacks, there is a platter to accompany your creation. Chips and dip or crudités are mouthwatering when presented on a brilliantly white porcelain platter. Serving trays made of slate, bamboo or marble provide a rich backdrop for your cheese or charcuterie spread. A multi-tiered cake or dense torte knows no equal when encased in a domed, footed cake stand, presentation that calls upon the fine art of delaying gratification.

Long gone are the days of bland, iron hot plates. Make room at the dining table for a skillfully crafted trivet. And no party can begin without a smattering of serving bowls. From porcelain to earthenware, beautiful bowls add a note of elegance to everyday snack foods.

Make sodas and iced teas more sophisticated with glass or porcelain pitchers. For a farmhouse or cottage aesthetic, choose pieces that double as both bakeware and serveware. And don't forget ladles, serving spoons and utensil holders - each one has its place at your table, and each one can be an ambassador of style.

The right serving platters and utensils make each dish you serve into a work of art. Find the look that's uniquely you at Home Decorators Collection.